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Tuesday, November 10, 2026

YOU NOW DON'T USE SEARCH ENGINES, YOU HAVE A CHOICE OF CHATBOTS

I'll start today with two activities in this second lame duck day of the House.

      • Usually, the House would refer this matter to the Judiciary Committee for consideration, which could take weeks to investigate and debate.
      • However, Massie brought it up as a question of privileges, which forces the House to vote within two days.
      • Remember, Massie lost his primary to a candidate hand-picked by President Donald Trump.
      • So far, Trump has stood behind Hegseth, posting on Truth Social on Nov. 9 that Hegseth gets an "'A' PLUS, PLUS, PLUS for his defense against a disgruntled, angry, defeated, former Congressman," going on to call Massie a "total loser."
    • Procedural vote will occur today at 5:30PM ET.
    • If this motion to block or refer the resolution is defeated, the House can proceed to debate and vote later today.
    • Chances are that this final follow-up will occur tomorrow, Wednesday, and might actually pass.
    • If it does, there will be a trial in the Senate, which needs 67 votes (two-thirds) to impeach.
    • The Senate impeached Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876, the only time a cabinet member was lost.
    • The latest Kalshi odds of impeachment.
      • Before November 21,2026:  77%
      • Before December 31, 2026:  86%
      • Before April 1, 2027:  87%

  • The second House development is that 62-year old Republican Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio will become the minority leader of the House on 3January2026.
    • He beat Rep Steve Scalise of Louisiana by a vote of 106-73.
    • He is co-founder of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus.
    • His hard-hitting political style is yet another signal that Republicans are not looking to cooperate much next year.
    • Democrats will hold their leadership elections next week.  The expectation is for 56-year old Democrat Hakeem Jeffries of New York become the next House speaker, the first African-American to get this job, and 63-year old Katherine Clark of Massachusetts to become the majority leader,  becoming the first woman to hold that post.

About the topic of the day, of course, most of us have had virtual assistants for more than a decade.  Siri first appeared on iPhone 4 in 2011.  

  • The original concept was funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to the Stanford Research Institute.  
  • Technology-wide, she is an intelligent assistant and chatbot.  
  • Her original voice came from American, British and Australian voice actors recorded in 2005 in a company which was later acquired by Apple.  The American first was Susan Bennett, who was a backup singer for Roy Orbison and Burt Bacharach.
  • Siri's capability was improved for iPhone 11, and the iPhone 17 for first time activated her by just stating her name.  
  • Previously, your command was Hey Siri.  All that was further expanded by iPhone 18 in 2024.  
  • In September of this year, Siri AI was introduced in various Apple devices.

There was a time when one used a traditional search engine to seek information.  A grand transition is now occurring.  You now don't really search.  You have a virtual assistant.

  • AI chatbots perform much better than search engines on issues that require subjective judgment, advice, or prediction of consequences. The strengths of AI chatbots are speed, convenience and the ability to generate responses in natural language – written or spoken.
  • In 2022, ChatGPT was launched, taking two years to gain traction on major platforms.
  • These older search sources like Google are still in use, but AI chatbots are beginning to replace earlier generations.
  • There are now seven chatbots.
  • At last check:
    • Open AI's ChatGPT was #1 with 54% of web search traffic, or 5.9 billion visits (13.6%) in September 2026.  In October of 2025, had 71.8% of all visits.
    • Google started with Bard, but now has an improved Gemini, with 2.6 billion visits this past September.
    • Anthropic's Claude was at about one billion in September.
    • The others are DeepSeek, Grok, Copilot and Perplexity.
Some of you are probably wondering, do you need to go to an app source to begin to use a chatbot.
  • NO!
  • You can access them directly through your web browser or address bar.
  • For example, if you use Google Chrome, just typing a keyword or statement, then clicking on your return key can trigger Gemini.
  • Also, adding a question mark (?) at the end of your need takes you there.

These chatbots are not exactly virtual assistants.  You can talk to your computer to do the search. From Google:

How to use Voice Search and AI Mode on a Computer
  1. Activate Google Chrome's AI Mode: If you use Google Chrome, Google has heavily integrated AI into the desktop browser. When you look up a query, you will see an "AI Mode" button next to the traditional search button. Clicking this transforms the standard search engine into a conversational chatbot. [1, 2, 3]
  2. Enable Your Microphone: To talk to it using your voice, ensure your microphone permissions are allowed in Chrome:
    • Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings.
    • Click on Microphone and toggle on "Sites can ask to use your microphone". [1]
  3. Click the Mic Icon: Once enabled, click the microphone icon directly inside the Google search bar or the Gemini sidebar to speak your query out loud instead of typing it. [1, 2]
(Note: If you are referring to a different tool, there is also a Windows desktop app called Genesis AI which is a "local-first" AI assistant with human-modeled memory that runs entirely on your own computer). [1]


Just the above should be sufficient to get started.  But here is some supplemental info:


When filling out the URL field in Chrome or Edge, use the exact text below for your preferred chatbot:
  • ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com
  • Claude: https://claude.ai
  • Perplexity: https://perplexity.ai
  • DeepSeek: https://deepseek.com

Once saved, open a new browser tab, type your shortcut keyword (e.g., gpt), press Space or Tab, type your prompt, and hit Enter. It will launch the site with your question already submitted.


Some You Tube videos to help you.

The story of the first one, ChatGPT.

  • Was developed by OpenAI and released on 30November2022.
    • Reached 100 million monthly users in 2 months.
    • Up to 900 million in February of 2026.
  • Not yet perfected, for it can "hallucinate."
  • Free, but not for higher limits, faster speeds, add free workspaces and specialized reasoning models.   GO ($8/month), Plus ($20/month) and Pro ($100/month).
  • Can write and debug computer programs, compose music (and student essays), generate business ideas, translate and summarize text and control computers.

Finally, here are the details for the upcoming Anthropic IPO:

Anthropic said it will offer 825 million shares in its upcoming IPO at a price range between $70 and $78 per share, according to an updated filing on Tuesday, bringing the 5-year-old artificial intelligence lab a step closer to a potentially historic Nasdaq debut. 


The company is planning to price on Nov. 18 and trade on Nov. 19, according to people familiar with the details who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Anthropic is targeting retail allocation of about 20%, the people said, a much higher percentage than the typical initial public offering, which is 5% to 10% for retail investors.

At the high end of the range, Anthropic would net up to $64.35 billion in proceeds through the IPO. The company could end up being worth up to $1.405 trillion on a fully diluted basis, rising from the $965 billion valuation it announced as part of a funding round in May.


I featured global warming, renewable energy and the environment as my posting yesterday.  Today, TIME magazine revealed the cover of what will be their 23November2026 issue:

Finally, about Jay Fidell's podcast of yesterday on this subject, click on this.  

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Monday, November 9, 2026

HOW SERIOUS IS GLOBAL WARMING?

There will be a focus on the environment today for two reasons.
  • I'll be appearing on a podcast that wonders why you never hear much about global warming and clean energy anymore.
  • This general subject matter was totally ignored as an issue in the recent mid-term elections.  However, this article says climate was a factor.
  • What should the new Democratic Congress do about the environment?
Appropriately enough, the United Nations climate summit, known this year as the Conference of the Parties 31, began meeting today in Antalya, Turkey.  What is the Conference of the Parties?
  • It is the supreme governing body of an international treaty 
  • Consists of 197 countries plus the European Union.  There are 27 nations in the EU.
  • The first gathering, COP 1, was held in Germany in 1995.
  • A key summit was the 1997 COP 3 in Kyoto, Japan, where the Kyoto Protocol was signed.  And I was there for that gathering.  Agreement was reached for key nations to reduce greenhouse gas emittance.  
  • The most important was COP 21 in Paris, France, where the Paris Agreement was signed. 
    • The actual signing occurred on Earth Day, 22April2016, at the UN headquarters in New York City.
    • Basically, all countries belong to the Conference of the Parties.  There are a very few exceptions, like the USA.
    • The USA dropped out in 2020 when Donald Trump was president, rejoined in 2021 when Joe Biden became president, and dropped out again in 2025 when Trump  re-became president.
    • Today, only the U.S., Libya and Yemen are not members.
  • The U.S. has never hosted any of the annual gatherings, and did not send anyone to Turkey for COP 31.
The order, signed by Trump on Wednesday (7January2026) says the organizations he's withdrawing from "undermine America's independence and waste taxpayer dollars on ineffective or hostile agendas."

So, on the one hand we have President Donald Trump, still leader of the most powerful nation in the world.  I asked Google AI if it thought Trump still felt that global warming was a hoax:

Yes, Donald Trump continues to dismiss global warming and climate change, frequently characterizing them as a "hoax," a "scam," or a "con job". [1, 2, 3]

I then asked Google AI, how serious is global warming:

Global warming is extremely serious and poses a major long-term threat to human health, ecosystems, and global stability. [1]
According to data tracked by NASA Science, human-caused greenhouse gas emissions have already warmed Earth by roughly 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels, leading to accelerated glacier melt, rising sea levels, and more intense extreme weather. [1]

I could go to all the available references, plus provide my personal opinion, for if I'm an "expert" about anything, this was what I did in my professional career.  However, I'll try to be a neutral info-provider, by, as much as possible, citing neutral sources, such as Google AI.  So let me start with:  Why did the Trump administration abandon global warming and clean energy programs?

The Trump administration abandoned global warming and clean energy programs to promote domestic fossil fuel production, cut federal spending, and dismantle environmental regulations it views as costly and overreaching. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Key Drivers and Actions
  • National Energy Dominance and Fossil Fuels: The administration declared a national energy emergency on its first day in office to prioritize oil, gas, and coal extraction, streamline permitting, and reshape policy around domestic energy production rather than emissions reductions. [1, 2, 3]
  • Dismantling Climate Science and Oversight:     The administration eliminated the 35-year-old U.S. Global Change Research Program, terminated hundreds of staff tied to the National Climate Assessment, and shut down public research portals like climate.gov to strip away the scientific data used to justify environmental rules.     [1, 2, 3]
  • Rolling Back Legal Foundations: The EPA rescinded the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which served as the primary legal basis for federal greenhouse gas regulations under the Clean Air Act. [1, 2]
  • Cutting Clean Energy Funding and Grants: Through federal budget proposals and executive actions, the administration canceled billions in clean energy, electric vehicle, and infrastructure grants—though some cancellations faced legal challenges. [1, 2, 3]
  • Withdrawing from International Agreements:     The U.S. withdrew from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and dozens of other international and multilateral environmental bodies, arguing that global climate pacts conflict with U.S. economic growth and taxpayer interests.     [1, 2, 3]
What Google AI avoided saying:
  • For personal reasons, Trump has attempted to eliminate anything to do with what the Obama and Biden administrations did.
  • Of course too, the White House wanted to prioritize the programs of campaign donors, particularly fossil and nuclear energy organizations and companies.
So what will the incoming Democratic Congress do about this matter?

The new legislative majorities intend to approach global warming and renewable energy through the following specific frameworks:
1. Investigations and Oversight
  • Targeting rollbacks: Democrats plan to use their committee majorities to launch hearings into the Trump administration's cuts to the EPA, the rolling back of greenhouse gas limits, and the defunding of green energy grants. [1, 2]
  • Donor accountability: Key figures like Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (incoming chair or top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee) have pledged to demand accountability for fossil-fuel industry influence over environmental policy. [1]
2. Renewable Energy & Affordability Pushes
  • Restoring tax credits: A top priority is reinstating the solar and wind federal tax credits that were phased out or eliminated by the prior Republican-led reconciliation package. [1, 2]
  • Equalizing the energy playing field: The party’s legislative framework focuses on leveling fees for solar and wind energy to match lower historical rates given to fossil fuels, as well as lifting administrative bans on offshore wind leasing. [1]
  • Targeting methane: Lawmakers plan to introduce measures to restore strict, mandatory regulations on fugitive methane emissions. [1]
3. Addressing the Tech & AI Energy Strain
  • Data center limits: Due to massive grid strain, the new Congress—along with freshly elected Democratic governors in traditional energy hubs like Texas—is targeting the massive carbon footprint of tech infrastructure.
  • Grid protection: Plans involve making data center operators pay directly for their own grid upgrades rather than passing those costs down to utility consumers. [1, 2, 3]
The Legislative Reality
Because President Trump retains his executive veto power, Democrats lack the two-thirds supermajority needed to pass sweeping, standalone green legislation without Republican defections. As a result, analysts note that the party's most ambitious climate bills will primarily serve to lay out their policy platform heading into the 2028 elections. However, Democrats are optimistic that they can find bipartisan compromise on clean energy tax credits and energy efficiency, as those measures directly appeal to districts heavily reliant on manufacturing and low-cost utility bills. [1, 2, 3]
The fact of the matter is that it is today already cheaper for electricity to be generated from solar and wind energies than coal or nuclear.  From Google AI:

Yes, generating electrical energy from new solar and wind power is generally cheaper than building new coal or nuclear power plants, according to industry analyses such as those from Lazard and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Cost Comparison (Levelized Cost of Energy / LCOE)
  • Solar PV: Unsubsidized new utility-scale solar typically ranges from $38 to $78 per MWh.
  • Onshore Wind: Unsubsidized new wind typically ranges from $37 to $86 per MWh.
  • Coal: New coal power generation ranges from $71 to $173 per MWh (though existing, already-paid-for coal plants can occasionally be cheaper to run in the short term).
  • Nuclear: Advanced nuclear power is estimated significantly higher, with costs often starting around $81 to $110+ per MWh or more depending on capital overruns and financing.
In the meantime, climate change is accelerating faster than we can respond:

Researchers warn that the rate of global warming appears to have accelerated, from about 0.05°C per decade between 1880 and 1970 to roughly 0.36°C per decade between 2010 and 2024—and the 2°C threshold meant to limit planetary damage could be reached before 2050 they warn. These accelerating and intensifying changes could raise the risk of reinforcing feedback loops and crossing tipping points—critical thresholds that, when crossed, can lead to accelerating and often irreversible environmental changes. In 2025, the Earth passed its first climate tipping point, as rising ocean temperatures, acidification, overfishing, and pollution are combining to cause coral bleaching and mortality.

Here is Google AI's comment about how these countries view global warming:
Europe
  • Public Sentiment: Europe ranks highest in public concern and awareness regarding climate change, with roughly 47% to over 90% of citizens viewing the climate crisis as a serious threat or primary personal challenge. [1, 2]
  • Policy & Approach: Guided by the supranational European Green Deal, the EU aims for climate neutrality by 2050 and a 55% reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 through mechanisms like the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Renewable Energy Directive. [1]
China
  • Public Sentiment: Public concern is exceptionally high (around 73% of the population worried about the climate crisis), driven by domestic exposure to extreme weather and air pollution. [1]
  • Policy & Approach: As the world's largest carbon emitter, China balances massive green technology dominance (producing the majority of global electric vehicles, solar wafers, and lithium-ion batteries while rapidly expanding wind and solar capacity) with continued domestic coal permitting to safeguard energy security. China has also established an absolute emissions reduction target for 2035 and cooperates with developing nations on renewable projects. [1, 2, 3]
The United States
  • Public Sentiment: Public concern is lower and deeply polarized along political lines; roughly 39% to 54% of Americans view climate change as a major threat, with a steep divide between Democrats (high concern) and Republicans (lower concern). [1, 2]
  • Policy & Approach: U.S. strategy has shifted across political administrations, featuring major federal investments via the Inflation Reduction Act targeting clean energy and domestic manufacturing, alongside periods of political retrenchment, fossil fuel expansion, and shifting engagement with international frameworks like the Paris Agreement. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Russia
  • Public Sentiment & Stance: Russia approaches global warming largely through an economic and geopolitical lens rather than active domestic decarbonization pressure.
  • Policy & Approach: As a major fossil-fuel producer and the fourth-largest global CO2 emitter, Russia often leverages climate impacts opportunistically—such as developing shipping corridors and extraction infrastructure along the warming Arctic's Northern Sea Route—while ranking near the bottom of international climate protection performance indices (such as the Climate Change Performance Index). [1, 2, 3, 4]
In other words, as surely as global warming is actually occurring, and there is serious concern in Europe and China, the USA will need to wait until a Democrat is elected president.  Perhaps global warming will become an election issue in the 2028 campaign.  Michele for President?

About that podcast today, the sound did not get captured well, but here are a few graphics.
The audience discussion went well:
  • There was a consensus that global climate change is real and the contribution of renewable energy will be crucial for a more secure future.
  • However, this issue is not a current community priority.
  • Perhaps we at 15 Craigside can spur interest.
    • After all, we all now have more time.
    • Some have connections.
  • It's possible that the environment and renewable energy can become a campaign issue for the 2028 presidential election.  We can at least start the effort.  With Jay's (that's him above) podcast, which is available nationally on You Tube, our input might go viral, nationwide.  Watch his Think Tech Hawaii video on The Future is Now.
  • Finally, to access Jay Fidell's podcast of today, click on this.
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